Here's my list for this year. Thanks for doing this again BrownEyedTigre!

Awakening: The Sunhook SprireBeyond: Light AdventBlue TearBrink of Consciousness: Dorion Gray SyndromeCadenza: Music Betrayal and DeathCalavera: Day of the DeadCurse at Twilight: Thief of SoulsDeath and Betrayal in Romania: A Dana Knightstone NovelDreampath: The Two KingdomsEternal Journey: New AtlantisFinal Cut: Death on the Silver ScreenHidden Expedition: Smithsonian Hope DiamondLost Lands: The Four HorsemenLost Lands: The Golden CurseMaze: Subject 360Myths of the World: Of Fiends and FairiesNew York Mysteries: High VoltageRiddles of EgyptSpirits of Mystery: Song of the PhoenixTimeless: The Lost Castle

Series:

House of 1000 DoorsLeague of LightMystery Case FilesMystery of the AncientsSurface

Oh boy, more recommendations to follow up. Thanks to this List, I aquired a couple of new games recently that were exceptional. I had given up on Big Fish last year because they bury all their good games under an avalanche of [blip] that you have to filter through, and it became more trouble than it was worth to find a good game. No more. If we can get recommendations from each other, I'm back in the Big Fish fan club again.

I bought Riddles of Fate: Wild Hunt, and just finished it. One of the best in a loooong time. Wow! Huge game, excellent graphics and animation, interesting HOG scenes with innovative touches, and tough mini-games. The Bonus game was worth its name as well. I played it on the hardest setting, and it was a dream date. I have marked this game in my database as a definite Replay! Having said this, there are caveats: There is a LOT of shagging your *** back and forth, a bit more than really was necessary. Most voice acting was scenery-chewing excess. Also, there are those celebratory trumpet blasts whenever you solve a small puzzle. Finally, there were some oddities about it that will throw off many veteran players. If you see something up in a tree and you find a slingshot to knock it down, your first thought is to find some ammunition for the slingshot, right? Maybe not. After looking around for any form of ammo while playing on in other scenes, I finally gave up and looked up a WT. Solution: You don't need ammo. ha ha You just click the empty slingshot on the target object! I'm serious. Still chuckling over that. Another example: At one underground cavern there is a threatening kraken in the water, blocking your progress, and you have to find a way to get rid of it before moving on. I was stumped there for another spell. There was nothing else I could do, so back to the WT. It said to break the stalagmites in the background ( on the other side of the lake, behind the kraken that is blocking your way). Uh huh. Last but not least, you find a torch shell that normally would need a wick or oil or something to light, right? Nope, you just stick the torch handle in the fireplace and voilá, flames. These little things detract somewhat because they stop you in your tracks. Still, they aren't enough to knock this game off the top of my list. Loved it. NB: You WILL have to take extensive notes in order to relocate objects you find along the way and then need later. Thanks so much to whomever put this game on his/her 2015 list. I owe you one!

Like Cherai, Mythic Wonders also has a unique environment and style, set in another culture. The puzzles are related to the culture as well. It is very pretty in a graphic sense. Unfortunately, it is too easy to be much challenge. But if you like a beautiful setting, that might be enough to justify buying it.

I'm so glad to see a few of the innovative games (like Calavera) get recognized. It would be great if the game designers picked up on our ratings.

Thanks so much for putting together this list! There are SO many casual games and it is daunting to try to find a good one. Lots of mediocre ones out there, and it takes a long time to search through them.